Urgent Care and Express Care Clinics (2024)

FAQs

Are express care and urgent care the same thing? ›

Similar to express care, urgent care handles non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries. However, visit an urgent care clinic if the problem needs to be taken care of in under 24 hours—like a minor broken bone or cuts requiring stitches.

This could be due to a surge in patient numbers, staffing challenges, or complex cases requiring more time and attention. Our healthcare professionals strive to balance these factors with the need to provide timely and effective care.

ERs generally see a decline in patient visits during the early morning hours. Furthermore, weekends, in contrast to popular belief, also tend to be less crowded. If your condition is not life-threatening but still requires immediate medical attention, considering these off-peak hours might be beneficial.

Urgent care centers are not a substitute for emergency care as they don't have the same equipment or trained staff that emergency departments have, but they can be a solid option for minor injuries or illnesses or if your doctor's office is closed. Urgent care centers do not have a federal mandate to treat patients.

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) defines an emergency department as a hospital facility that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provides unscheduled outpatient services to patients whose condition requires immediate care.

Cons: Limited Scope: Urgent care is not equipped to handle life-threatening emergencies. In such cases, a visit to the emergency room (ER) is imperative.

If the injury or illness is life-threatening or could cause permanent disability, go to the ER. The emergency department is where you will get care for severe illnesses and injuries. If it's a life-threatening emergency, call 911 so first responders can provide care right away.

Early Morning

One of the best times to visit an urgent care facility is early in the morning, right after it opens. Many people choose to go to the doctor later in the day, so the mornings are often less crowded. By arriving early, you can beat the rush and get seen by a healthcare provider sooner.

Be specific: Describe your symptoms in detail. Instead of saying “I feel sick,” explain the specific symptoms you are experiencing, such as nausea, dizziness, or chest pain. This will help the medical staff understand the urgency of your situation. Use descriptive language: Paint a vivid picture of your symptoms.

Furthermore, the day of the week can also impact the busyness of the ER. Generally, weekdays, especially Tuesday and Wednesday, tend to be less busy compared to weekends.

What is the busiest day of the week at the ER? ›

Monday: Often considered the busiest day at the ER, it's believed that people delay seeking medical care over the weekend and then head to the ER once the work week begins.

Some common conditions that are considered urgent, but not necessarily a medical emergency, and can be treated at an urgent care center are: Mild to moderate abdominal pain. Fever without a rash. Non-severe allergic reactions.

Seizures. Serious burns or cuts that won't stop bleeding or close. Severe allergic reaction. Severe cold or flu symptoms. Shortness of breath.

Things to watch out for are when pain levels change significantly, or when you suddenly experience severe pain you haven't felt before. Pain is an indicator of an underlying condition, one which may have been developing for a while but which you were unaware of. An example could be chest pain.

That means they are booked back-to-back-to-back with patient appointments, and if they spend extra time with one patient, it just makes them late for the next one, and it snowballs from there. That's why doctors make you wait so long in a waiting room, lobby, or exam room.

There are several beds within the emergency department, and there may be patients in all of them. Unless it's a large hospital there's probably only one doctor on duty to manage multiple patients. If your situation isn't life threatening you'll be waiting until one of those beds is freed up.

A shortage of nursing and ancillary staff. A relative shortage of doctors. A policy that forbids turning anyone away from the ER for care. Triage—the system by which a member of the staff (usually the triage nurse), assesses the severity of a person's condition and allocates the speed and intensity of care accordingly.